Vensera
Common Life Culture Vensera's entry into the Redland Empire was not by choice, and its people have never forgotten this. In the year of 915PR, a combined imperial assault destroyed the two largest cities of Vensera over a matter of weeks, killing thousands of civilians in the process and beating the shattered kingdom into submission. Following the aftermath of the assault, Eledore also joined the Redland Empire, while Loegria officially declared war on the empire, using guerilla tactics to stay relatively safe from retribution. On a national level, Vensera is still a broken country in many ways. It's society is based heavily around reserving a cultural identity, and recovering artefacts and knowledge from before the imperial assault of 915PR. Entire academic institutions devote their scholaristic abilities to trying to discover, record, and preserve the incidents of the assault so as to devise means of preventing its repetition in future years. Its military is well known to regularly train in drills designed to fight magic. Even Vensera's early education system is based around maintaining the fine line of serving the empire while still clearly preparing to detach from the empire at the earliest possible moment. Religion The people of Vensera despise the Redland Empire and everything that it stands for. As such, it supports huge numbers of clerics striving for the divine powers to overthrow the imperial arcane overlords. Huge temple complexes have been devoted to the new Gods, with vast armies of divine paladins and cavaliers seeking out fragments of Lorthliathe's Banners and other arcane defensive artefacts. Outside of the public light, there are others who choose to follow the Old Gods in the hope of gaining arcane might and immortality. As such, the Order of Shadows and Blinding Light Circle both field large followings within Vensera. Politics Nobility Vensera is ruled by elected officials, and nobility is therefore an odd notion to its people. There are those citizens who are wealthy, and there are those citizens who are poor - but every citizen holds a single vote in elections, and any citizen may run for any form of election, meaning that the origins of a citizen matter little within the politics of the land. There are rumours that the spread of cults within Vensera is so widespread that entire local and national elections are swayed in favour of the cults, though what truth lies behind this rumour is still unknown. Laws As a kingdom of the Redland Empire, Vensera reluctantly serves the Empire, and therefore officially outlaws necromancy any necromantic practices - however, Vensera has proved to be remarkably capable at resisting imperial intervention and corruption, meaning that necromancers often seek refuge in Vensera. In recent years, a variety of civic rules have been produced in an attempt to further unite the people of Vensera. Failure to follow these civic rules results in trial, the outcome of which may either be death, imprisonment, community service, or national service. # Theft is outlawed. # Murder is outlawed. # Destruction of cultural significance is outlawed. # Each citizen between the ages of fourteen and fifty must train with weapons, study strategy, or devoutly practice faith at least five times per week for durations of at least two hours, and amass at least fifteen hours of such training per week. # Each citizen between the ages of six and twenty must study the cultural history of Vensera for at least one hour a week through their local authority, institute of learning, or authorised independent learning. # All inter-national trade must be approved by local authorities and may be subject to route diversions depending on cargo type*. # All citizens showing magical potential must be advised on national or local means of furthering study. # Citizens of Vensera are to be given shelter and safety in times of need. # All suspicious activity must be reported to local authorities immediately. # All border settlements must field a garrison of specially trained soldiers amounting to at least two dozen soldiers. *This rule has been examined with much scrutiny. Speculation has been drawn suggesting that the route alterations may be a means of subtly supplying the Loegrian war against the Redland Empire. Commerce Vensera have taken great steps to become self-sufficient, though do trade in goods with the Iron Valley. History Origins Vensera, much like the other kingdoms of the Redland Empire formed following the destruction of the old Rommulite Empire, in 698PR. The kingdom was based upon former borders held from folklore similar to those existing prior to the formation of the Rommulite Empire, and its borders have changed very little since this time. Vensera was the last kingdom to join the Redland Empire, joining in 915PR, and did not do so willingly. It took the imperial destruction of two large Venseran cities, and killing of thousands of civilian lives for Vensera to eventually agree to joining the Empire. Even then, the join was only seen as a temporary appeasement until the kingdom is strong enough to fight back again. Recent Following the imperial assaults on the cities of Drakenbreadth and Tilbiete in 915PR, Vensera has undertaken drastic measures to preserve its culture and prepare its citizens for war. Four generations may have passed since the destruction, but the burning desire for freedom and revenge have not subsided. Geography Cities * Scavarti - Human capital, approx 6000 * Ascolsa - Human city, approx 3000 * Florina - Human city, approx 3000 Fortifications * - * - * - * - * - Notable Locations * Drakenbreadth ruins * Tilbiete ruins * Smugglers River